For most people, a visit to the Death Valley in California lasts no more than a few minutes at a stretch. This is the hottest, driest place on earth, with hiking trails no longer than 22km for those who have the courage to cover them. But every year, 100 runners from around the world are selected to run a 217km track in almost 50°C. This is the Badwater Ultramarathon, which takes place in the Badwater Basin, a barren salt flat in Death Valley and the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere.
Last year, Mumbai-based Adil Mirza finished this deadly race in 41.18 hours. Mirza has been a runner since the age of xx. The hobby took birth as a 1.6km daily run in Bareilly, UP, and transformed into a passion after his first marathon in Mumbai. “What’s next?” he’d keep asking in search of a longer, tougher, more intriguing race. Today, he’s run three marathons in Ladakh, the Pune UltraMarathon and the Hell Race in Jaisalmer, among other races. Here’s what the experience has taught him:
Running a marathon lets you see a place like never before
“If you ask me to run miles and miles in the dark desert of Jaisalmer today, I’ll say no thanks. But when you have a goal in mind and have prepared for it, nothing stops you. In these marathons, I’ve witnessed the beauty of places one can hardly visit under normal circumstances–take Death Valley for instance, where I was able to traverse the region for multiple days straight when most tourists aren’t even able to stick around for more than a few minutes or hours.
You don’t just train for the distance, you also train for the environment
“If I have to run 21km, I can do it anywhere, anyhow, after training wherever I want. But if I want to run the same 21km in great time, say an hour and a half, it could take intensive training for about a year.” Running has always come easy to Adil, but to grab a win in a new race at a new location every time, he would alter his training to prepare his body for more than just running. “No amount of training at sea level can prepare you for the lack of oxygen at 18,000ft. To get used to the feeling, I would climb stairs to cover 400 to 800 storeys a day. Climbing stairs leaves you winded and cuts your oxygen–something that helps greatly in the altitude change in Ladakh.”
The destination can make or break your experience
“Ladakh has great roads, cool weather and a great view. There are no potholes, stones, or dust–I can run with closed eyes. That has a huge impact on your spirit as well as your physical ability,” Adil shares. But oxygen is extremely low there, and the hydration support that runners pay for is weak. This means water and food only every 15km.
“But the Pune UltraMarathon challenges your mental strength over everything else, simply because of its location.” Imagine running in a loop for hours, even days, passing the same houses, schools, offices, and pavements. “And the roads were so bad that I got holes in my shoes, my feet hurt, and for a moment I felt that running in Ladakh was far easier than running in Pune,” Adil confesses, adding that the hydration support in the city was the only good thing–four pit stops in a 12.5km loop.
The Hell Race in Jaisalmer starts at noon, runners have to ration their water for 10km at a stretch, until the next hydration stop. “We all start a marathon together, but by the last leg of the 100-mile race, you’re all alone. Everyone is progressing at their own pace, and there’s no one in front or behind you, except at the hydration stops every 10km,” Adil says. The track passes through desolate villages and vast swatches of desert. “It’s not unsafe, but it’s scary.”
“Most races tire you out once they begin. In Death Valley, you’re tired all the time. By the time the race started, I had been dehydrated and fatigued for days. That’s not a great start, now is it?” Adil remarks.
Beyond the marathon, international races test more than your strength
For Mirza, who had never run an international race before, the race began from home. “When I got selected for the Badwater race in February, the visa appointment wait time was 900 days. The race was in July,” he shares. After requesting the organisers for an official invitation letter, he had to get a fast-tracked appointment. Upon reaching, Mirza had to cope with a change in diet, surviving on 10 eggs and a liquid diet in lieu of an Indian grain-rich diet.
It’s important to lean on people
If Mirza made it to the finish line in Death Valley, it was largely made possible by his diverse spot crew, great hydration support and the sheer will to represent his country in a foreign land. Pooja Krishnamoorthy, a mountaineer by profession and part of Mirza’s crew, bought the patience that comes with scaling peaks with large groups, while his friend Nikhil Shah, a resident of the States, helped with driving before and during the race.
